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Terrelle Pryor

5 undefeated teams remain as we head into week 4 of the NFL season. I went 9-7 a week ago, bringing my season total to 26-22.

Bye Week: Philadelphia and Green Bay

Thursday Night Football

Dolphins @ Bengals: Miami barely squeaked by the Browns last week, while the Bengals were beat down by the defending champs at home. The Dolphins got a big day from Jarvis Landry, but inconsistency continues to plague Ryan Tannehill, who threw a pick six in the win. Cincinnati got their running game going, but still lost to 1-2 for the first time in five years. After two very good weeks, Andy Dalton couldn’t do much against the Broncos defense. I like the Bengals at home with another good rushing game to get their second win of the season. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday Morning Football

Colts @ Jaguars: London here they come! Indianapolis got their first win of the season last week, while Jacksonville is still looking for theirs. Andrew Luck has the uncanny ability to turn a bad day into a big day passing the ball, but the Jaguars defense isn’t the problem so far, so he’ll need help. Blake Bortles on the other hand, has been pretty awful for Jacksonville in his third year under center. So what happens this weekend across the pond? Give me a cleaner day from Luck to lift the Colts. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Bills @ Patriots: Three different quarterbacks have started for New England, but that hasn’t stopped the winning. And as for the Bills, they got their first win over a team many think, myself included, are a playoff team destined for a deep run. Both teams got big two-touchdown games out of their number 1 running backs, so look for another day of running the clock. The Patriots have to get through one more week without Tom Brady, and while they’ve done a great job doing so, and are very, very good at home, I’m taking the road team in this one. BUFFALO WINS

Titans @ Texans: It was a very bad week for Houston, who not only lost their Thursday game versus New England 27-0, they learned that JJ Watt re-injured his back and will be out the rest of the year. Tennessee’s week wasn’t much better, as they scored just 10 points in their loss to Oakland. Both teams enter action having scored the same amount of points through 3 games, but of course that’s skewed with the Texans O-fer last weekend. Marcus Mariota and Brock Osweiler have both thrown 4 interceptions so far this season, so whoever can limit mistakes has the edge. A Titans win puts them in a tie for the division early. But I don’t think they get it, because I like the Texans skill position players better. HOUSTON WINS

Lions @ Bears: The Lions are 1-2, but haven’t struggled in the passing game, as Matthew Stafford has found a new weapon in Marvin Jones after Calvin Johnson called it a career in the off-season. The silver lining there for the 0-3 Bears is that their defense has actually done okay against the pass so far this season. Chicago got a pretty good game out of Brandon Hoyer, who finished 30-49 for 317 yards, though most of that came with the game out of hand already. Both teams have the ability to get the points in the air, and with two middling defenses, that shouldn’t be a problem. So this game will be won in the trenches, and the edge there lies with the Lions. DETROIT WINS

Panthers @ Falcons: Carolina is another team I thought would have a great season, but has disappointed so far. Thanks to the struggles of the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South, Atlanta finds themself atop the division early on in the season. This dispite allowing 31, 28 and 32 points in their first three games. The Falcons may not be getting sustained success in their ground game early, they are getting it when it counts. Tevin Coleman has just 110 yards on the ground, but has 4 rushing touchdowns, including 3 on Sunday in New Orleans. Carolina entered action red-hot at home dating back to 2014, but we shut down by a red-hot Vikings defense a week ago. I still believe in the Panthers defense, and as hot as Atlanta has been, I think Carolina gets the win on the road.CAROLINA WINS

Seahawks @ Jets: The good news for Jets fans? Ryan Fitzpatrick can only be better than he was a week ago. The bad news? He has to be a lot better against the top defense in the league. After scoring just 3 points against L.A. in week 2, the Seahawks exercised some demons putting up 37 against the Niners. Russell Wilson was hobbled in the game, but still managed to leave with a nice lead. Big games from Christine Michael and Doug Baldwin helped get the offense back on track. New York can solace in the fact that they have had a pretty good run game all season, and while some of it came in garbage time, Seattle did allow the Niners to get over 130 yards on the ground, finding pay dirt twice. This shouldnt be as ugly for the Jets as it was last week, but it will still be a loss. SEATTLE WINS

Raiders @ Ravens: Baltimore finds itself among the undefeated teams heading into week 4, in large part thanks to their defense and a good day from kicker Justin Tucker. The Ravens are second in total defense through 3 weeks of play. Their opponents won their 2nd game by forcing three turnovers, with a sack after entering week 3 having allowed the Saints and Falcons to walk all over them. So based on defenses, Baltimore should have an easy win. But I actually like Oakland’s offense a lot more, and as someone who thinks this is a playoff team, I’ll take the Raiders in the upset. OAKLAND WINS

Browns @ Redskins: Cleveland should’ve gotten their first win of the season in Miami a week ago, but an inability to stop the air attack, and three missed field goals left them at 0-3. They gave themselves a shot, but couldn’t take it. Cody Kessler’s first career start wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good for Cleveland, though at this point, coming out healthy is huge for the Browns. Washington did get their first win, taking down the Giants on the road. After a couple lackluster offensive weeks, Kirk Cousins let it loose and got a number of big plays in the passing game to help get that first win and move back in the right direction to defend their NFC East title. So can the Browns get their first win this week? Yes. Will they? I don’t think so. They stayed in last week thanks to mistakes by Tannehill, but Cousins won’t make those same mistakes. WASHINGTON WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Broncos @ Buccaneers: The Superbowl Champs are showing no signs of slowing down as they look to start the season 4-0. Denver got off to a slow start last week against the Bengals, but came on strong late thanks to a big day from rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian. Siemian threw four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter for the win. Not to be outdone, the Broncos are a top flight defense that held down Andy Dalton and their rushing attack. They’ve got another tough test when they take on Jameis Winston this weekend. The Bucs 2nd year quarterback is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes so far with 8, though he has thrown six picks to. It won’t be a blowout, none of Denver’s games really have been, but it will be another win for the Broncos. DENVER WINS

Rams @ Cardinals: I’m shocked at the start the Cardinals are having at just 1-2. Carson Palmer has had a bad TD-turnover ratio through 3 weeks. Arizona isn’t getting quite out of David Johnson on the ground, while their defense is allowing the 5th most rushing yards per game. This is as good a week as any to get back to what they want to do in all phases as they take on their division rival Rams, who find themselves tied atop the division at 2-1. Los Angeles has rebounded nicely from a shutout on opening day, winning their last two games. The Rams tend to play up or down to their opponents, evident by a 9-3 home win over Seattle and a 37-32 shootout on the road in Tampa Bay. Going off those results, I’ll take the Cardinals at home in what should be a close game throughout between these two West foes. ARIZONA WINS

Cowboys @ Niners: Dallas couldn’t have asked for more from rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot through three weeks. The Tony Romo-less Cowboys were a game-winning field-goal away from being 3-0 right now. Dez Bryant has a hairline fracture in his knee but is still expected to play this weekend. San Francisco was manhandled in week 3, and still isn’t making a change back to Colin Kaepernick. The biggest thing the Niners have going for them is Carlos Hyde has looked pretty good. I like what the Caowboys have done this season, but I have a feeling about San Fran this week. It might be a bad feeling, but I’m rolling with it.SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Saints @ Chargers: It’s still early, but the Saints need to start picking up some wins quickly if they want to make the playoffs as I predicted they would as a wildcard team in the NFC. The offense hasn’t been the problem. Drew Brees is already over a 1,000 yards passing, with an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio, though that one interception last week was a fourth quarter pick six for Brees. New Orleans defense hasn’t been been able to stop anyone, as they’ve allowed the 2nd most total yards. Worst at stopping the run, that’s where the Chargers will need to take advantage this week. But without Danny Woodhead, San Diego needs Melvin Gordon to get going, so this is the perfect opportunity for that. I like Philip Rivers, but I like Drew Brees more. Give me the road team to get win number 1 this week. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Chiefs @ Steelers: What a defensive performance put on by the Chiefs this past week! Two defensive touchdowns and six interceptions helped Kansas City get the easy win over the Jets. The offense wasn’t great, but they didn’t need to be with that showing on defense. Alex Smith continued to show his game management skills, and why Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league right now. They’ve got a desperate Steelers team thsi week, who didn’t score a touchdown in a week 3 beatdown by the Eagles. After two very good weeks, DeAngelo Williams was stymied on the ground, so the rushing attack will gladly welcome back Le’Veon Bell from suspension this week. The biggest test for the Kansas City defense will be stopping Antonio Brown, but I don’t think it will matter much even if he does have a big day. KANSAS CITY WINS

Monday Night Football

Giants @ Vikings: This should be a battle of two unbeatens, but a late game collapse left the Giants at 2-1 heading into today. Too many penalties, a couple late turnovers and allowing Washington to open up the field multiple times led to the home loss for New York. They lost Shane Vereen to a triceps injury as well. Eli Manning and company need to do more in the passing game, and they have the capability with three wide receivers. The bad news for New York is that the Vikings are running on all cylinders right now. Their defense has been relentless through three weeks, and despite losing starting QB Teddy Bridgewater before the season started, the offense has been very good. Sam Bradford has come in and fit in better in two weeks then he’s done in the first few seasons of his career. It’s going to be tough for the Giants on the road, but I like New York will figure things out and get back in the win column. NEW YORK WINS

We’ve reached week 3 of the season, and still have 8 undefeated and 8 winless teams. There have also been a lot of big injuries early that will have a big impact on week 3 and beyond. As for my picks, I’m 18-14 through 2 weeks. Here’s what I’m thinking going into week 3.

Thursday Night Football

Texans @ Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo left with a shoulder injury for New England, who still managed to move to 2-0. This was thanks in large part to Garoppolo’s 3 touchdown passes before his injury as well as a big performance from LeGarrett Blount in the run game. The Texans took down the Chiefs on the strength of their defense to move to 1-1, a stark difference from their 33-0 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. Without Garoppolo, I think the Texans will do enough to get another win to start off the week 3 action. HOUSTON WINS

Sunday 1pm Games

Ravens @ Jaguars: Baltimore got very lucky in week 2, as they overcame a 20-0 1st quarter deficit to improve to 2-0. Cleveland never scored again, while Joe Flacco brought his team back with a 25-45, 302 yard performance. Their opponents have been disappointing to me so far. While I didn’t think the Jaguars were going to make the playoffs this season, I thought they’d be better than they’ve shown, starting 0-2 again after They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers. BALTIMORE WINS

Lions @ Packers: Both teams enter 1-1 after losing in week 2, and are looking to keep pace with the 2-0 Vikings. The Packers lost their game in the 4th quarter, turning the ball over twice, while allowing Rodgers to be sacked 5 times. Detroit also lost their game in the 4th quarter when they were outscored 13-0 by the Titans, including a 93-yard game winning drive. The Lions didn’t have a go to back in week 2, losing Ameer Abdullah to an injury. So who gets back in the win column this week? I’ll take the Packers at home with a much-needed big day from Eddie Lacy. GREEN BAY WINS

Redskins @ Giants: Washington won the NFC East a year ago, but have opened up this season 0-2. Struggles in the red zone and an inability to force turnovers meant a loss in a back-and-forth affair with Dallas last week. New York’s offense moved up and down the field pretty easily on Sunday, but also struggled in the redzone, and had too many turnovers in the 1st half. But the defense and special teams stepped up and they moved to 2-0. So who takes this division matchup? Give me the home team to get over their redzone struggles and take advantage of Eli Manning’s league leading completion percentage, which should be even better as the Giants receiving core dropped at least 5 balls in week 2. NEW YORK WINS

Browns @ Dolphins: For the 5th week in a row (dating back to last season), Cleveland will be starting a different QB. Someone should tell them this isn’t baseball, there’s no starting rotation in football. Even with the QB carousel, the Browns almost, and should have, pulled out their first win in week 2. They were up 20-2 on the Ravens, thanks in big part to their ground attack, but fell late. Miami isn’t in any better a position than their week 3 opponents, as they enter action at 0-2 as well. The Dolphins were down big early to the Pats, but made a comeback after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury. Cleveland will be in this game until the end because Miami has had issues stopping the run early. But even of Isaiah Crowell goes big on the ground, I still think they pull out the win at home. MIAMI WINS

Vikings @ Panthers: Minnesota will now be without their starting QB and running back for the rest of the season after Adrian Peterson went down in their game on Sunday night. The Vikings defense looked stong against Aaron Rogers in week 2. As for Carolina, they rebounded offensively in week 2, but they still struggled a bit on defense, allowing the Niners to score 27. They’ll be without their running back Jonathan Stewart, but were picked up by Fozzy Whittaker on the ground. Despite the 27 points allowed, I like the Panthers chances of stopping Sam Bradford and the new Vikings weapon and league receiving yards leader Stefon Diggs. CAROLINA WINS

Broncos @ Bengals: Andy Dalton has gotten off to a nice start this season, leading the league with 732 passing yards, so here’s a good test for the Broncos league leading defense. CJ Anderson is having a good start to the season, and we’ve seen the Bengals give up the most rushing yards per game to start the season, so he should be able to help eat a lot of clock for Denver. DENVER WINS

Cardinals @ Bills: Arizona rebounded from a tough week 1 loss by handily beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cardinals led the league in total offense, while the Bills dropped to 0-2 despite putting up 31 points of their own in week 2. Buffalo has let their offensive coordinator go, so they really need this game. Too bad I don’t think they’ll get it. Look for a big game from running back Daniel Johnson. ARIZONA WINS

Raiders @ Titans: Oakland has not been able to stop anyone through two weeks, something I wasn’t expecting, allowing 70 points so far. Tennessee has actually done a very nice job on defense. Both teams are 1-1 heading into this game, but I still like the Raiders better. The Titans offense hasn’t shown the big play ability the Raiders have, so Oakland should be able to hold them down better than they did with New Orleans and Atlanta. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425pm Games

Rams @ Buccaneers: LA’s defense showed up in week 2, Tampa’s did not. The difference between these two teams is the offense. While the Bucs went from scoring 4 TDs to 1, I feel more confident about their offense than the Rams, who have scored just 9 points in two games. The best chance the Rams have is if their defense can do what it did a week ago, and good game out of Todd Gurley. That being said, I’ll take the home team in this one. TAMPA BAY WINS

49ers @ Seahawks: This is a big (albeit early) NFC West battle between two 1-1 teams. San Francisco followed up a surprise week 1 win with a defensive breakdown against Carolina. Seattle had one of their worst offensive games in this recent stretch of Superbowl quality teams, scoring just a field goal against the L.A. Rams. I can’t see the Seahawks being held down again, especially by the Niners. Russell Wilson should be able to dominate in this one. SEATTLE WINS

Steelers @ Eagles: I never thought this would be a game where both teams have a chance to move to 3-0, but here we are. DeAngelo Williams has been huge for Pittsbrgh in the abscense of Le’Veon Bell, who is out one more week due to suspension. Philadelphia has gotten about as good as you can ever hope to from a rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz, who hasn’t turned the ball over yet. It should be a good game, but I will go with the experience in this one.PITTSBURGH WINS

Jets @ Chiefs: Two teams I picked to make the playoffs in the AFC face off in Kansas City this weekend. New York picked up their first win last week, thanks to the offense. Off-season acquisition Matt Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, and three rushing touchdowns. Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall both finished with 100 receiving yards as well. The Jets defense wasn’t as impressive as it was week 1. The Chiefs hope that’s the case again this week, as they couldn’t get much of anything started against Houston. A lot went right for New York last week, and I can’t see them doing quite that well against Kansas City’s defense as they did against Buffalo. If this were a home game for the Jets I might choose differently, but it’s a home game for the Chiefs, so I’ll go with them this week. KANSAS CITY WINS

Chargers @ Colts: San Diego is 2-0, Indianapolis is 0-2. I really thought that the Colts would be able to do better than they have on defense, but they haven’t. San Diego has looked very good on offense to start this season, Indy has been very up and down. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Bears @ Cowboys: Chicago is 0-2 despite holding early leads in both week 1 and week 2. And now they’ll be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a thumb injury. Their best hope to beat the Cowboys is to continue limiting the passing game, as the Bears rank 4th in the NFL allowing 224 yards a game. As for Dallas, they picked up their first win thanks to another clean day from Dak Prescott and a big night on the ground. The Boys were already a better team than the Bears before the Cutler injury, so give me Dallas at home to move to 2-1. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Falcons @ Saints: Atlanta picked up their first win against an impressive Raiders team in week 2, while New Orleans dropped to 0-2 after a game winning field goal by the Giants. Atlanta hasn’t had any problems scoring this season, but their defense has struggled at times. New Orleans’ defense was much better in week 2, forcing 3 turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. I picked the Saints to make the playoffs, so this is a huge game for them. If they want to get their first win, they have to figure out how to run the ball. The Falcons tend to be very inconsistent, so give me New Orleans at home in a shootout. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Another bad week for me, thanks to a lot of good teams losing. I went just 5-8 in week 10.

Thursday Night Football

Indianapolis @ Tennessee: Both teams are coming off bad losses. The Colts got absolutely man handled by the Rams at home, while the Titans gave the Jags their first win of the season. Tennessee will be without starting quarterback Jake Locker, something that isn’t new for this team, and have a very up and down run game. As for the Colts, Andrew Luck had maybe his worst game of his young career, and has shown bounce back ability. For that reason alone, give me the road team in this one. INDY WINS

1PM Sunday Games

New York Jets @ Buffalo: The Jets don’t seem to like winning or losing two games in a row, but I see their first win streak of the season coming. They’re rested off the bye against a Bills team that didn’t look good in EJ Manuel’s return. I just think New York is poised to take that next step. And to do that, they have to beat their bottom-dwelling division foes. NEW YORK WINS

Baltimore @ Chicago: The Ravens looked a little more like the championship squad they were last season last week. While the Bears will be without Jay Cutler and Lance Briggs coming off a two-point loss to Detroit. I know this is a home game for the Bears, but I think Ray Rice can finally have a good game against Chicago, whose defense hasn’t been spectacular after a strong 3-0 start. BALTIMORE WINS

Cleveland @ Cincinnati: It’s a key AFC North match-up as the Browns look to stay relevant in the wild card chase, and with the Bengals looking to keep their two game lead. Cincy needs Andy Dalton to play more like he did during their 4 game win streak, and less like the turnover prone guy he’s been their last two defeats. The Browns have been up and down, and yet are still tied for 2nd with the Ravens. I think the Bengals defense makes plays to get them back in the win column. CINCY WINS

Oakland @ Houston: The Raiders haven’t looked good the last couple of weeks. Terrelle Pryor is a mobile QB, but he hasn’t looked great throwing or running of late, and that’s not going to get it done. As for the Texans, they haven’t looked good since week 2. But Case Keenum has impressed me in his 3 starts, and I think he can get this ship back on track. I also like what I saw from JJ Watt a week ago. HOUSTON WINS

Arizona @ Jacksonville: The Jags finally got a win, and against a decent Titans squad. And the Cardinals are much improved from their 5 win season a year ago. Arizona’s defense is going to give Jacksonville fits, and I think it will result in turnovers. ARIZONA WINS

Washington @ Philadelphia: This is a big game for both teams. The Eagles are looking to make a statement and break a 1st place tie for first, while the struggling Reskins are just hoping to stay out of last place. Nick Foles has taken the starting job and ran with it, or rather thrown a lot of touchdowns. RGIII hasn’t looked anything like the guy that took his team on a 7-game win streak to end the season last year. I think this team finally breaks the streak and gets a home win. PHILLY WINS

Detroit @ Pittsburgh: The Lions are finally putting together the year everyone’s been waiting for. The offense is explosive now that they have a legit run game, and the defense is showing up too. As for the Steelers, they’re in real danger of missing the playoffs for a 2nd straight year. There are even rumors Ben Roethlisberger is looking for a trade. Detroit has a chance to make a statement in the North, and I think they do so on the road. DETROIT WINS

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: So the Bucs aren’t winless any more, and the Falcons still only have 2 wins. Just how we all saw the South shaping up. I keep not wanting to pick the falcons, but they’re better than the Bucs… I guess. Tampa shutdown the Dolphins run game on Monday, but the Falcons don’t have a run game anyway. Give me the road team. ATLANTA WINS

4/4:25PM Sunday Games

San Diego @ Miami: The Dolphins are in turmoil, the Chargers are inconsistent. Both got off to good starts to the season, but have been bad of late. Both teams have had trouble to get the run game going at times, while both have very inconsistent QBs. Can I pick nobody? No, ok give me the drama free team. SAN DIEGO WINS

San Francisco @ New Orleans: One of my right match-ups here between two of the NFCs best. The niners were absolutely shut down by the Panthers a week ago, while the Saints put on an offensive clinic against Dallas. San Fran needs to keep pace with the division leading Seahawks, while the Saints have to hold off a hot Carolina squad. The 49ers defense is better than the boys, but this game is home for the Saints, and they are nearly unstoppable in the dome. And I think that’s the difference. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Green Bay @ New York Giants: The Pack are starting their 3rd different quarterback in their last 3 games, and two straight losses. Not what you want in an improved North division. As for the Giants, Eli Manning needs a good game, and he always finds a way to play the Pack tough. With the run game finally showing up big time last week, and the defense rounding into shape, I think the Giants make it 4 straight. NEW YORK WINS

Minnesota @ Seattle: The Seahawks put their recent struggles (if you can call winning ugly struggling) behind them with an easy win in week 10. That while the Vikings picked up their 1st win since week 3 on Thursday Night. Adrian Peterson has looked better the last two, but it’s not going to be enough against Seattle’s defense. Not to mention the hawks crazy good running back of their own. SEATTLE WINS

Sunday Night Football

Kansas City @ Denver: Talk about a must-see match-up. The top 2 teams in the West flexed out the Packers/Giants game and for good reason. A combined 17-1, this battle will be key for the number 1 seed in the AFC. And it’s only their 1st match-up. The Broncos offense is far superior to the Chiefs, while KC has the edge defensively. Peyton Manning is banged up (ankles) but will be under center. As good as the Chiefs have been defensively, the Broncos are far more balanced, and this being a home game, to me, this means a tie atop the division come early Monday morning. DENVERWINS

Monday Night Football

New England @ Carolina: I know Sunday Night is probably the biggest game, but this to me, is the most intriguing. The Patriots are starting to round into shape, while the Panthers are maybe the hottest team in the league. New England has been shutdown a couple times this season by defenses similar to Carolina’s but not as good as the Panthers have been. I think Cam Newton and company can run over this team with a little help from their shutdown D. If this were a home game for the Pats, I might pick differently. But it’s not. CAROLINA WINS

The match-ups to get you started and finish you off aren’t necessarily what you’d hope, but it’s still football. So enjoy.

We’ve passed the half-way point, and there are still a couple team looking for a their first win, and the Chiefs remain unbeaten, despite teams best efforts.

6 more teams were off this week: New York, Detroit, Jacksonville, Denver, Arizona and San Francisco.

NFC EAST (A Strange Thing Happened- Everyone Not on a Bye Won)

Cowboys: They never make it easy, almost losing to a one win Minnesota team at home. But Tony Romo shook off a late interception to drive his team to a late second game winning touchdown to Dwayne Harris. Jason Witten had a good day, catching 8 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Their rush defense couldn’t slow down Adrian Peterson, but they did a good job on Christian Ponder in the pass game.(5-4)

Eagles: Nick Foles really doesn’t want to give up his starting job. He only threw for 7 touchdowns, tying an NFL record with 6 other QBs (Peyton Manning did this in the season opener). Wide-receiver Riley Cooper was the beneficiary of 3 of those touchdowns, finishing with 139 yards receiving. Not to be outdone, Desean Jackson finished with 150 yards and a touchdown on the day. This after a few weeks of struggles on offense, and against a previously top 10 ranked defense in Oakland. (4-5)

Redskins: It took overtime, but Washington was able to pick up a win and stay on pace with the rest of their division mates. As if they needed more weapons on the ground, with RGIII and Alfred Morris on the roster, full-back Darrell Young emerged and found the end-zone 3 times, including the game winner. Entering action, Young had only carried the ball twice this season. Add 121 more yards from Morris, and you have why this team survived the Chargers comeback attempt.(3-5)

Giants: Bye Week. (2-6)

NFC NORTH (These Teams Can Score With Anyone)

Packers: A division loss bigger than most. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a what turned out to be a fractured collarbone on Green Bay’s opening drive, and is expected to miss at least 3 weeks. Seneca Wallace didn’t do much in his absence, completing just 11 of 19 passes for 114 yards and an interception. Rookie runner Eddie Lacy did all he could to make up for the Rodgers injury, picking up 150 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The loss snaps a 6-game win streak over NFC North opponents. (5-3)

Lions: Bye Week. (5-3)

Bears: No Jay Cutler. No problem. Back-up Josh McCown had a good day, throwing for 272 yards and two touchdowns, and no turnovers. Brandon Marshall had a big day receiving, catching 7 passes for 107 yards and a score. The wide-out was only outdone by back Matt Forte, who ran for 125 and a score. Defensive end Shea McClellin had 3 of Chicago’s 4 sacks on the night.(5-4)

Vikings: They had a chance to pick up their 2nd win of the year, but they left too much time on the clock for the Dallas offense. Adrian Peterson woke up, rushing for a 140 yards and a score. Ponder added another score on the ground, and threw one to tight-end Kyle Rudolph, who left late with a foot injury. 3 sacks on the day, including two by Brian Robison. Make it 4 straight in the loss column. (1-7)

NFC SOUTH (New Orleans Has Company)

Saints: If you’ve got a good front 7, you can beat this team. Losing Darren Sproles in the 1st quarter, and being without franchise TD leader Marques Colston didn’t help, but there are too many weapons on this team to lose to an inconsistent Jets team. But it happened, thanks in large part to two Drew Brees interceptions and a lack of a run game following the Sproles injury. (6-2)

Panthers: Cam Newton wasn’t as mistake free as he’s been, but it didn’t stop Carolina from picking up their fourth straight win. Newton threw two interceptions, and just one touchdown, but he did run one in. The defense is a big reason for the win, pitching a shutout in the 2nd half, and picking off Matt Ryan 3 times. Cornerback Drayton Florence returned one of those interceptions for a 38-yard touchdown. Fullback Mike Tolbert scored his 5th TD during the win streak.(5-3)

Falcons: So much for this team making a run. Another 3 Matt Ryan picks meant another loss for a team with superbowl aspirations. Steven Jackson had his first rushing touchdown as falcon, but littleness can be found in the bright spot category for Atlanta. Much like Houston in the AFC, this team is a big disappointment.(2-6)

Buccaneers: They managed to carry a 21-3 lead into the halfe time break against a very good Seahawks team on the road. but then the Seattle defense picked up and their bid for win number 1 came to an end in overtime. (0-8)

NFC WEST (Seattle Hasn’t Looked Great Lately, But Keeps On Winning)

Seahawks: For the 2nd week in a row, this didn’t look like the best team in the NFC, but luckily for them, they weren’t playing high caliber teams. They put themselves in a big hole early against the winless Bucs, and needed an extra frame to finish them off. A big reason for the win was the contributions of Golden Tate on punt returns and Marshawn Lynch in the run game. (8-1)

49ers: Bye Week. (6-2)

Cardinals:Bye Week. (4-4)

Rams: It took til week nine, but this team finally picked up their first rushing touchdown of the season. It was apart of a second consecutive 100-yard game from rookie Zac Stacy, who finished with 127 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns. Too bad for St. Louis, it wasn’t enough. Kellen Clemens was mediocre, throwing for 210 and a score, but he did lose a fumble. Their defense did get to interceptions, and record 3 sacks.(3-6)

AFC EAST (Looking Like A Two Team Race)

Patriots: They tied an NFL season high with 55 points, and had a big day on the ground and in the air. Tom Brady had 252 passing yards in the 1st half alone, more than 5 of his first 8 games this season. He finished with 432 and four touchdowns, including a 2 to Aaron Dobson and 1 to Rob Gronkowski, both who finished with over 100 yards receiving Danny Amendola also tallied a 100+ yard game, as did Stevan Ridley, though his work was on the ground. The defense wasn’t spectacular, but you don’t need to be if the offense clicks like it did this time out.(7-2)

Jets: This team continues to play to the level of their opponents, and has still yet to lose or win 2 in a row. They absolutely shut down the Saints on defense, and did a lot of good on offense. Chris Ivory bounced back from a poor week 8 to deliver nearly 140 rushing yards and a touchdown. Geno Smith wasn’t great, but he didn’t turn the ball over either. Nick Foles continues to have a great year kicking the football, making all 4 of his field-goal attempts; he’s now 23 for his last 23, the longest streak in the league. The defense did a good job stopping the run, and limiting the Saints high-powered offense. (5-4)

Dolphins: It wasn’t pretty, but when you snap a 4-game losing streak, all you want is the win. For only the 3rd time in NFL history, Miami won on a safety, thanks to a Cameron Wake sack. It was a strange way to end their skid, but there were a lot of good things Thursday night. The defense was good all night, forcing 3 Bengals turnovers and limiting too many big passing plays, and of course the game winning safety. Ryan Tannehill also had a nice game, especially on the drive late in the 4th to help force overtime.(4-4)

Bills: They managed a season best 470 yards of total offense against a stout defense. But two turnovers in the 2nd half were returned for scores, killing any chance of handing KC their first loss of the year. Jeff Tuel’s pass at the goal line in the opening minutes of the 2nd half was picked off and returned a 100 yards to tie the score at 10. CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson combined for nearly 200 yards on the ground, but no scores. Their defense did a good job, but it wasn’t enough. (3-6)

AFC NORTH (Cincy Isn’t All Defense These Days, But They Are All Alone at the Top)

Bengals: They didn’t play like a team that entered action on a 4-game win streak. To be fair, not many teams fair well on a short week, but after the way this team has been playing on offense, they were almost as bad for much of the game. Two Mike Nuggent field-goals and running back Giovani Bernard wee the scoring offense for Cincy on Thursday. Bernard found the end-zone twice, while fellow back BenJarvis Green-Ellis helped out on the ground in a nice way. Andy Dalton had been so great in the past four, but three picks and taking a game losing safety in OT was a big step backward. This while the defense did an uncharacteristically bad job stopping the Dolphins run game. (6-3)

Browns: Snapping an 11-game losing streak to anyone is nice, but to a division rival, which helps you leap frog them in the standings, is a beautiful thing. Cleveland did a lot of good things against Baltimore, and it all started with Jason Campbell under center. The 31-year-old QB threw 3 touchdowns, 2 to Davone Bess, for 262 yards, while not turning the ball over. Greg Little had a big day, with 122 yards receiving. Cleveland won while getting nothing out of star tight-end Jordan Cameron and very little out the run game.(4-5)

Ravens:The reigning Super Bowl champs countinure to sputter, losing to Cleveland for the first time in the Joe Flacco era. Flacco didn’t have a bad day, throwing for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns to Marlon Brown, but he was picked off once. And you know you have a problem when Flacco leads the team in rushing with 25. Ray Rice continues to struggle mightily on the ground, and this team isn’t the same without him going well. (3-5)

Steelers: You’re not going to win many games when you allow a franchise high in points, especially when it’s to the Patriots. And that’s exactly what happened Sunday at Foxborough. They got down early, and managed to come back to tie the score at 24 in the 3rd quarter, but were outscored 31-7 the rest of the way. Jericho Cotchery benefited from a big day by Ben Roethlisberger, catching 3 touchdown passes, but big Ben also threw 2 picks in the loss. They allowed New England to gain 630 yards of offense. (2-6)

AFC South (The Luck Still Hasn’t Run Out)

Colts: For the 10th time in his young career, Andrew Luck led his team on a fourth quarter comeback. He had some help from breakout receiver TY Hilton, who caught 3 touchdowns. Hilton had really stepped up in the absence of Reggie Wayne. Indy continues to get nothing in the run game, as Trent Richardson continues to struggle since coming over in a trade earlier this year. A couple of two-point conversions on late TDs and a couple of missed Houston field goals helped secure the come from behind win. (6-2)

Titans: Jake Locker was not good, but luckily Chris Johnson picked up the slack on the ground. Locker had only thrown 1 pick all season, but threw two Sunday, though he did score with his legs. The run game was the offense, with Johnson scoring twice, and Shone Green adding another. The defense did enough in the end, and this team is in the hunt, just two games back and two left with Indy, (4-4)

Texans: Case Keenum looked like really good in the 1st half, thanks in large part to Andre Johnson who had nearly 200 yards receiving before the break. The young starter had his team up 21-3 over a good Indianapolis squad heading into the break, then things took a turn for the worse. In a scary moment, head coach Gary Kubiak collapsed as the teams headed to the locker room. He was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons and was treated at the hospital with medicine that’s “designed to break up clots consistent with people who suffer strokes.” Wade Phillips took over head coaching duties, and the team didn’t respond. Randy Bullock missed two field goals and the team was held to just 3 points in the half as the Colts came back yet again They’re now losers of 6 straight. (2-6)

Jaguars: Bye week.(0-8)

AFC WEST (KC Likes Winning So Much They Just Keep Doing It)

Chiefs: Another case of making it hard on themselves, but finding a way to get it done for the leagues remaining unbeaten. Down 10-3 at the half, the defense picked up in the 2nd half to help get them another win. Linebacker Tamba Hali and cornerback Sean Smith both returned turnovers for touchdowns. The offense was non-existent, managing just 210 yards of total offense.(9-0)

Broncos: Bye Week – It wasn’t a quiet week off for Denver, as the learned they’ll be without head coach John Fox for an extended amount of time. The 58-year-old Fox felt light-headed while golfing, went to the hospital, and will have heart surgery. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will take over in his absence. (7-1)

Chargers: With a chance to win in regulation, what they thought was a Danny Woodhead touchdown was ruled down inside the 1. And somehow they couldn’t punch it in. Resulting in a game-tying field goal, and ending in an overtime loss to Washington. Rookie wide-out Keenan Allen continues to impress, catching 8 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Philip Rivers had a bad 1st half, but picked it up in the 2nd half. In the end, the Skins ability to run it in from inside the 10 proved too much. This team continues to be very up and down.(4-4)

Raiders: The defense had been on a role, but they had no answer for the Eagles passing game on Sunday. Their run game led by Terrelle Pryor was good again, with Rashad Jennings getting over 100 yards following an injury to Darren McFadden. But it’s pretty hard to come back from a 28-13 1st half deficit if you yourself cannot throw the ball too well. Sure Pryor finished with 288 yards passing, but couldn’t find the end-zone while throwing two picks. (3-5)

Welcome to the second half of the season. Another 6 teams have their bye week here in week 9: the Giants, Broncos, Cardinals, Jaguars, 49ers and Lions.

A very good week for me in week 8, as I went 11-2. Let’s try to match that this week shall we?

Thursday Night Football

Cincinnati @ Miami: One team is on a 4-game winning streak, the other, a 4-game losing streak. And while I think the Dolphins are better than what they’ve shown during their skid, I think the Bengals are too hot right now. I give the road team with their stellar defense, and on-fire quarterback the edge in this one. CINCY WINS

1PM Sunday Games

Atlanta @ Carolina: The Panthers have been really good of late on both sides of the football. The Falcons have been inconsistent to say the least. If the birds want to make a run at a playoff spot, they’ve got to start with this road divisional game. I think it will be close, but I think Matt Ryan limits the turnovers and the defense does just enough to help them get win number 3. ATLANTA WINS

Minnesota @ Dallas: The Vikings scored a lot on Green Bay’s defense last weekend. This as the Cowboys allowed a lot of scoring on their own defense in a bad last-second loss. And despite not knowing if the Boys will get back their starting running back or not, Tony Romo is a better quarterback than everyone on Minnesota’s roster. So I’m taking the home team. DALLAS WINS

New Orleans @ New York Jets: The Saints are cruising atop the NFC South, while the Jets sit two back in the AFC East. Geno Smith has yet to lose two, or win two in a row in his rookie campaign. But I think Drew Brees and company will change this, and hand New York their second straight loss to drop them below .500. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Tennessee @ St Louis: The Rams defense did a very good job of stopping the Seahawks high-powered offense on Monday night. But the offense couldn’t help them out. The Titans are fresh off their bye with getting to .500 on their minds. Jake Locker has been a lot better this year than most people realize, because he tends to get banged up a lot. But I think having had the extra week to get healthy, the Titans are ready to pick up a big road win. TENNESSEE WINS

Kansas City @ Buffalo: Sure the Chiefs are probably due for a loss, and this being a road game against a pretty good defense, this could be the week. But I haven’t really liked what I’ve seen from Thad Lewis since taking over for the injured EJ Manuel. I think if Alex Smith continues being smart with the football, this will be a fairly easy win for the leagues remaining undefeated team. KANSAS CITY WINS

San Diego @ Washington: The Chargers have been inconsistent this season, but are on an upward trend coming out of a bye. RGIII is in the midst of a sophomore slump following his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2012. The biggest difference for San Diego right now is their running game, led by Ryan Matthews, is starting to round into form. I think this continues, and the Chargers hand the Redskins their 2nd straight loss. SAN DIEGO WINS

4/4:25PM Sunday Games:

Philadelphia @ Oakland: The Eagles offense is not what Chip Kelly invisioned when he signed on to be the head coach before the season. A big reason for that is the oft-injured Michael Vick, who left Sundays game against New York after reinjuring his hamstring. That means Nick Foles will be back under center. As for the Raiders, Terrelle Pryor has already matched their win total from a year ago, despite not having stellar numbers throwing the football. His biggest threat has been on the ground, and I think that’s where he, and Darren McFadden get it done again this week. OAKLAND WINS

Tampa Bay @ Seattle: The Bucs remain winless, and now have to go to a place where Russell Wilson doesn’t lose. And this after Wilson had a bad game in St. Louis. That just doesn’t seem fair, but this is football. SEATTLE WINS

Baltimore @ Cleveland: Cleveland continues to show improvement, even in losses, but there are no moral victories in Football. As for the Ravens, they’re coming off a bye and looking to right the ship. Ray Rice has had a down year, but always plays well off the bye, and will need to this week in order to get a road win. Also look for Torrey Smith to have a big game. BALTIMORE WINS

Pittsburgh @ New England: The Steelers are another team having a down year, while the Patriots continue to find new and interesting ways to scrape wins together. I think this will be another close game for the Pats, but they always do well at home, and with Stevan Ridley running the way he is, give me the home team. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Sunday Night Football

Indianapolis @ Houston: Case Keenum showed something in his first start for the Texans, almost leading them to a win against KC. But their defense hasn’t been what everyone thought pre-season, and the run game is beat up. As for the Colts, they’ve beaten some of the leagues best teams, and Andrew Luck has looked good doing it. I want to say the Texans will make a game of it, but in the end, the Colts get it done. INDY WINS

Monday Night Football

Chicago @ Green Bay: This is my favorite match-up of the week. Two very good NFC North teams looking to establish themselves as the team to beat in the division. The packers hold the edge right now thanks to already having had their bye week, but a Bears win would go a long way in closing the gap. Their defense got off to such a hot start, but has seen a drop-off since their 3-0 start. Losing Jay Cutler didn’t help the team, and he won’t be back this week. So despite the Packers defense letting Minnesota score a lot last week, give me Aaron Rodgers by 7. GREEN BAY WINS

There you have it. 13 games that are sure to be fun to watch. Enjoy everybody.

So we’ve seen week 8 come and go, marking the unofficial halfway point of the season.

Sure some teams have already taken their bye, meaning they’ve only played 7 of their 16 game scheduled, but many have played 8. So I figured I’d take a look back at my picks for the major awards and who was gonna win it all, and tell you who really won the 1st half of the season.

My Pre-season Division and Wild Card Winners

NFC: New York, Seattle, Green Bay, Atlanta, Dallas & New Orleans

Clearly I, was very off when I picked the Falcons and Giants to win their divisions. Sure it could still happen, but it’s very unlikely as they sit in 3rd and 4th respectively. But Seattle and Green Bay are both sitting pretty atop their respective divisions, and while Dallas and New Orleans aren’t wildcard times, they of course lead their divisions and would be playoff teams, as I thought they would be. I think the easiest division for me to pick had been the North. But this has become of the of the bigger surprises for me, with both Detroit and Chicago right there heading into the second half. The Saints, who I thought would be in a dog-fight with the Falcons all year for the South are coasting right now, but as we all know, a lot can happen in a short amount of time in the NFL. If the playoffs started today, 4 of my 6 pick would make the playoffs.

AFC: Patriots, Denver, Baltimore, Houston, Cincinnati, and Indy

Here’s another case of getting the teams right (for the most part), just not picking them high enough. Let’s talk about Indianapolis, who are showing they are a legit Superbowl contender, having knocked off three of the best teams in the league (Denver, Seattle and San Francisco), and easily at that. I had them winning the a wild card spot, so I wasn’t really off, but I never thought they’d do this well again. A lot of their success last year came in 4th quarter comebacks, something I didn’t see them replicating. Denver I’m not wrong about, but my biggest shock might be in Kansas City. I knew the Chiefs would be improved, never did I think they’d lead this division. I figured they’d battle for a wild card. But here they are the last undefeated team standing. The Pats hold a slim lead, but things can change quickly if they’re not careful. Baltimore and Houston have been big disappoints, while the Bengals defense has given them a nice lead in the North. Just like in the NFC, 4 of my 6 picks would make the playoffs if they started today.

My AFC and NFC Championship games probably won’t end up quite the way I picked them, but my Superbowl pick of Denver over Seattle (sure call it chalk) does remain as a real possibility.

And how about my pre-season award winners? Here is how some of my picks have changed.

Offensive Rookie of the Year:

I picked Texans Wide-receiver DeAndre Hopkins. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Packers Running Back Eddie Lacy, who I put down as an honorable mention. He’s given the Packers another option on offense, which just makes them more dangerous.

Offensive Player of the Year:

I picked Lions WR Calvin Johnson. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Broncos QB Peyton Manning, another pre-season honorable mention by me. How could he not be the guy right now? Look at his stats: 29 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He’s completing nearly 72% of his passes and has only been sacked 11 times in 8 games. Sure he’s got a lot of weapons but he’s also finding them and making all the throws. But to be fair to Megatron, he’s having an insane year yet again.

Defensive Player of the Year:

I picked Bengals Defensive Tackle Geno Atkins. After a half of football, my vote would now go to the Chiefs OLB Tamba Hali. This guy has done a little bit of everything. 4 forced fumbles, 23 tackles, a pick 6 and 9 sacks.

I picked Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Colts QB Andrew Luck. This guy has shown he was the right guy to take number 1 last year. He can outplay the best of them, and can put early game struggles behind him to help his team late. His numbers aren’t flashy, but he takes care of the ball and is a true leader.

I picked Seahawks Pete Carroll. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid. When you turn a 2 win team into an undefeated team halfway through the season, you’re going to be considered for awards.

Houston Texans: This is a team I saw as one of the last two standing in the AFC. With a running back tandem like Arian Foster and Ben Tate, with a very good defense that got back Brian Cushing to play along side last year’s defensive player of the year in JJ Watt, I thought it was time for this team to take that next step. But Matt Schaub has regressed, and is now injured, and TJ Yates didn’t do much better backing him up.

Dis-Honorable Mention: New York Giants – They collapsed in the 2nd half of 2012, and have carried that bad play into 2013. Injuries have ravaged the o-line, secondary and running back position, but they still have too many weapons to be just 2-6 in the first half.

Biggest Disappointment – Offensive Player

Ravens RB Ray Rice: This is a guy who is usually atop the rushing yards leader board. But a year removed from helping his team win the Superbowl, Rice hasn’t done much to help his team, and it’s a big reason why they’re just a 2-win team coming out of their bye. At 26, there should still be something left in the tank, but he hasn’t been producing. He’s been very good in his career after the bye, so maybe the extra time off will help get him back on track.

Dis-Honorable Mention: Redskins QB Robert Griffin III – It might not be fair to say this, as the mobile quarterback is coming off a serious knee injury that knocked him out of the playoffs last year. But if you’re going to let him play, that means he’s healthy, which means we should be seeing more consistency from last years Rookie of the Year.

Biggest Pleasant Surprise – Team

Carolina Panthers: This team is riding on the high of a 3 game win streak that saw their offense put up 30+ points again, and the defense limit its opponents to 13.7 points a game, 2nd only to KC. This team hadn’t been over .500 since before Cam Newton was drafted. They are 2nd in a division where the Falcons play. That means something.

Honorable Mention: Kansas City Chiefs – 2 and 14 to 8 and 0. A sack happy, shutdown defense. A good run game. A quarterback who is very good at game management. They get honorable mention because despite a bad record a year ago, this team sent 6 players to the pro bowl, so the turnaround isn’t a huge surprise. This team is primed for a postseason run.

Biggest Pleasant Surprise – Player

Cowboys LB Sean Lee: This guy has a nose for the football, tied for 1st in the NFL with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a score. He also has the most return yards of a defensive player. He’s also defended 10 passes, recovered a fumble and has a combined 81 tackles.

Honorable Mention: Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor – His team only has 3 wins, and his numbers aren’t great, but after a few years of disappointment, he’s shown glimpses. First of all, those 3 wins match Oakland’s win total from a year ago. He can run with the best of the mobile quarterbacks. And he wasn’t even supposed to be the starter. Matt Flynn was brought in, and Pryor just flat-out beat him for the job.

So there you have it. That was fun, looking back at what I thought preseason and seeing how it’s panning out. Of course there’s still a whole lot of football to be played, and everything I wrote here (or almost everything) could be meaningless come week 9 or 10. But that’s the beauty of the gridiron, nothing stays the same for long. So win, lose or draw, let’s go out and enjoy the 2nd half of the 2013 season as much as we did the 1st half.

Week 8. Wow. We’ve come to the halfway point of the season (for teams that haven’t taken a bye that is).

Speaking of byes, six teams are off this week: the Ravens, Bears, Titans, Colts, Chargers and Texans.

I went 9-6 last week in my picks, and now here are my picks for week 8.

Thursday Night Football

Carolina @ Tampa Bay: It’s not the most glamorous matchup to get Week 8 started. Cam Newton and his Panthers offense have been playing very well the last few weeks, while Mike Glennon had a good day in a loss to Atlanta. The Bucs are still looking for their first win and are without their top back after Doug Martin tore a labrum last weekend. The Panthers defense has been very good at getting to the quarterback, and if they can do the same thing to Glennon, I see this being another easy win for the cats. CAROLINA WINS

1PM Sunday Games

San Francisco @ Jacksonville: Let’s be honest, the Jags are bad, and the 49ers are hot. Jacksonville had its best game 2 weeks ago against Denver and still lost by almost 20 points. The revolving door of Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne at quarterback continues, with Henne getting the nod this week. The run game for the Niners, coupled with a great defense, is just too much for a flawed Jacksonville team. SAN FRAN WINS

Cleveland @ Kansas City: Brandon Weedon to the bench, Jason Campbell under center for the Browns. Off two straight bad performances, Cleveland is trying something different. A tough time to change quarterbacks when they’re on the road taking on the leagues only undefeated team. At 7-0, the Chiefs are obviously playing good football, particularly on defense, and should have another big day. KANSAS CITY WINS

Miami @ New England: I was surprised at how bad the Dolphins played out of the gate last week, coming off their bye. The offense got going and took the lead over Buffalo, but couldn’t hold it. The same came be said for the Patriots, who managed to force overtime against the Jets. The Pats hold just a one game edge in the East, and the Dolphins are now 2 back. This is a big game for both squads, but give me the home team. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Buffalo @ New Orleans: The Bills offense played well a week ago against Miami, and the defense made the plays late to secure a victory. But they have to do a better job of holding a lead if they get one against the Saints, which is easier said than done. And I don’t really see them having a lead, let alone holding one. I think the week off the Saints good, and not to mention how hard it is to play in the Superdome. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Dallas @ Detroit: Two high-powered offenses in this one. The Lions lost a tough one against Cincy, the cowboys won an easy one against Philly. But Detroit actually played better on offense than Dallas did a week ago, and with DeMarco Murray still questionable for this week, I think the Lions just have more weapons right now, both offensively and defensively. DETROIT WINS

New York Giants @ Philadelphia: The G-Men finally enter a game coming off a win, the Eagles head in on a loss. Some good news for Philly, who will be getting back Michael Vick. The ground game was better for the Giants for a second straight week, while the defense has done a great job stopping the run themselves. I think a with a win under their belt, the Giants start to find a rhythm. Rarely do these two teams sweep the season series, and I think the Giants get a big road win, their first. NEW YORK WINS

4/4:25PM Sunday Games

Pittsburgh @ Oakland: They’re still not playing their best football, but the Steelers have no won two straight against good teams. They’re doing a good job stoping the run, which they’ll need against Terrelle Pryor and the Raiders. Oakland is coming off their bye week and while they’ve played better this season than most expected, I think the Steelers get a third straight and continue to get good progress out of Le’Veon Bell. PITTSBURGH WINS

New York Jets @ Cincinnati: The Jets got a big division win last week, while the Bengals increased their own division lead. Both teams have gotten big performances out of their defenses this season. But I think the difference will be Andy Dalton finding his rhythm, while Geno Smith continues to have one up and one down game, as to be expected with rookie QBs. I just really like how the Cincy is playing, and have been able to win without much production in the run game, something they probably won’t get against New York. Another case of give me the home team here. CINCINNATI WINS

Atlanta @ Arizona: Matt Ryan should get back Roddy White and possibly even Steven Jackson, giving him two more weapons to play with. The Cardinals got off to a good start this season, but I think the Falcons are primed for a run. ATLANTA WINS

Washington @ Denver: The Redskins offense was on point last week, but the defense was not. And despite a tweaked ankle for Peyton Manning, this offense is going to be motivated coming off their first loss. It might not be a blowout, but I can’t see the Broncos losing a 2nd straight, especially with this being a home game. DENVER WINS

Sunday Night Football

Green Bay @ Minnesota: The Packers are now down 2 of their best offensive weapons with the loss of wide-out Randall Cobb and tight-end Jermichael Finley. But the Vikings are back to a change at QB now that after 1 start Josh Freeman has a concussion, meaning Christian Ponder will be under center. GREEN BAY WINS

Monday Night Football

Seattle @ St. Louis: The Seahawks are just better than the Rams, and without Sam Bradford under center, it doesn’t help. The Rams have added Brady Quinn and Austin Davis to the roster, after only being left with Kellen Clemens. No word on who gets the start yet, but I don’t think it really matters. SEATTLE WINS